I will do this for the Readers - Paint It Black.

You know, I've already accepted that I'll never outshine Lena Myro's dumb posts or Varlamov's art of rubbing your nose in mud to make you dash off exultant comments, 'So true! We're up to our eyeballs in shit!' Thereby raising his profits and rating.

I actually started this blog in hopes of gaining a readership that hunts the truth and fairness of presentation rather than fat-witted badmouthing. But the response made it clear no one really needs that. People look for something to laugh at.. well, yeah, keep on upvoting dat ass. Who cares about truth? Yes, we've got 250,000 readers per month, but… No comments, only silent lurkers, and I'm not a newspaper after all.

Well, Eric is different, his writing differs from mine. His posts are long and beautiful, but Google Analytics shows that no more than 30% visitors across the enormous territory of our country read them through. But guys, he's got a ton of fans in the English-speaking world! You're losing your chance! And, between ourselves, he's an excellent English teacher with (!) a Ph.D. in poetry. No more than 4,000 people have such a degree. Out of the 7.442 billion.

Okay, then I started writing comparisons, explaining complicated stuff in lay terms, so to speak. Most simply close them. In our country (and across the whole contemporary world, frankly speaking), the demand for popular scientific literature has been falling. (You could say the sales are growing. But what do those figures look like in comparison with the population growth?)

I'm not great at travel stories, as I'm convinced that seeing once is better than reading over 9,000 times. You can't? Just put more effort into it! And after all, it's not as difficult as it may seem, trust me. For instance, the picturesque US national parks where all conveniences are provided for the visitors offer amazing views. Those views will be forever in my memory, for I've never in my life seen a more beautiful landscape. (I've gone mountaineering in the Caucasus Mountains, almost all of Europe, Carpathians, Mont Blanc, Karelia, Scandinavia; I've seen steppes, deserts, salt marshes, and none of them was more awesome). Visiting them is more affordable than, say, Norway. It costs about as much as a decent vacation in Thailand or the Czech Republic. Just don't catch a direct Aeroflot flight. 'Cause people will talk…

I don't want to plug my posts with camouflaged advertising and deceive my readers in order to somehow fuel my interest in going on in the same spirit. Because that will be the end of the spirit.

In fact, even a blog of such a level is an investment. You need to pay for links, direct marketing, social media promos… Otherwise, no one will learn about you. Simple as that. You aren't one-of-the-kind. There are hundreds of you. Thousands. Millions. 10 grands per month can deliver at least an acceptable result. Spending less won't get you anywhere. No matter how good your writing style is. And you won't be able to offset the expenses unless you're a populist. The advertising space buyer needs resonance. But my readers are silent. And those who write objectively will get the same result.

I don't want to write about stringent politics because, as the joke goes, “I've got a family, that's why I jumped.” Besides, my opinion on this matter won't change anything in any case. You already know everything you need to know. Everyone has their own truth. That's why there'll be not a single bit of politics. To be blunt, this is what has given rise to a miscommunication between me and Eric. He believes once you've got a family you don't have to jump. A different culture, there's nothing to say… Seen it with my own eyes.

To conclude, the blog is loss-making and time-consuming. (Not only writing posts takes time. You have to find and edit images, and they must be either purchased or royalty-free!) Actually, if you think this post is all about complaining, don't be silly. I am for an objective assessment. Based on such an assessment, you draw up three forecast options and the corresponding financial models (I usually also build a fourth model, the “black swan”). Then you have to make a conclusion about the project: whether you should invest in it, sell it, shut it down gradually, or accept the fact your time and money are lost and dispel the project from your mind. (All this knowledge comes from the other kind of activity I'm engaged in, but oh well, it's just good for general development).

And if we discard the facts and say it in the diction of poetry…

“I see my red door and it has been painted black” (Rolling Stones, Paint It Black)

So, my good readers,

“Maybe then I'll fade away

and not have to face the facts

It's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black.”

(Rolling Stones, Paint It Black)

Yeah, and then they say the curtains mentioned in Pushkin's verses are blue for a reason… And they disregard the SETI initiative that allows anyone to become a participant and really make a difference, right, you naked monkey? Maybe “Lucifer's Hammer“ can make you think about the “important role” of television, which you opt for instead of reading a book? After all, “The consequences of every act are included in the act itself” because “If you kept the small rules, you could break the big ones.” And in any case… Shhh! “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.”

Not willing to become a douche who looks down on his readers, I have made my decision. I'm moving from LiveJournal to my own domain and hosting, where it would be more convinient to post comments for non-LJ users.

Thank you, everyone, for your attention… He put his hat on and lit a cigarette…